Season 13: Unlucky for some, but not the A-League

While Sydney FC fans bask in the glow of their premiership, championship and an unrivalled and stellar season, there are nine other ambitious clubs circling A-League silverware in 2017-18.

Off-field issues have been the centre of attention over the course of recent months and one would be foolish to dismiss them as merely that. The reality is that governance and the power structure in Australian football is inextricably linked to the highest flight.

Shrewd financial control of the game provides security to clubs, fans and the ability to attract marquees and imports looking to lengthen their careers, as well as ensuring the survival and sustainability of lower tier clubs all over Australia. Maintaining that football baseline is vital.

Quality coaching at youth level, clear avenues by which talent can be identified and the difficult task of turning grassroots footballers into attending fans are further issues the FFA must continue to address.

How free-to-air coverage fits into the mix will be revealed in time and looms as a potential game changer.

Co-ordinating all the pieces of the puzzle into a lucid and strategic plan that serves the states, clubs, youth development, women’s football and national teams is the task at hand and it intertwines with the A-League in so many ways.

So what are fair expectations of the national league as it enters its 13th season? Let’s be fair and begin by making note of recent trends.

The reality is that crowds aren’t growing, salary caps are keeping the talent pool relatively constant and without quality free-to-air coverage a broadening in exposure will only ever be described as a trickle. Throw in some serious questions around parity and there will be a variety of different expectations among the clubs.

The powerhouses look strong once again – Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers will all make the top six and will accept nothing less.

(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

It remains to be seen whether Central Coast Mariners coach Paul Okon’s investment in youth and his trust in taking a few steps back – to eventually move forward with a style he prefers – will reap rewards this season. A finals spot would be a wonderful achievement.

We are also none the wiser as to what the Wellington Phoenix will bring. Finishing just out of the finals in 2016-17 suggests they will feel they can climb higher. And for the sake of attendance figures and their long-term viability in the league, hopefully that is the case.

Logic says Adelaide and Perth will improve and their supporter bases will expect just that after mixed and directionless seasons where neither seriously threatened.

If the Brisbane Roar can harness their experienced squad into a cohesive unit they could surprise a few, despite being labelled as something of an old folk’s home. John Aloisi was not happy with the outcome last time around and will accept nothing less than a top four spot as a pass mark.

Last season’s 10th-placed club have an enormous task ahead under new manager Ernie Merrick. The only way is up for the Newcastle Jets and hopefully the Hunter faithful climb aboard for a ride to the outskirts of the six, which would be something of an achievement.

The A-League itself will be hoping that both ratings and attendance figures spike. A reasonable and fair goal would be 14,000 per game and if 200-300,000 people tune in to free-to-air coverage on a weekly basis, some measure of success could claim to have been achieved.

Membership seems to have hovered between 100,000 to 120,000 recently, and it would be pleasing to see that threshold broken. Those clubs dragging the chain will need to begin the season with much improved form in order to see any increase in their figures.

The Sydney and Melbourne teams will hold up their end of the bargain, however it would be nice to see the Phoenix and Mariners increase their numbers. Last season saw around 8000 new members join clubs and with another small increase, the 120,000 barrier is well within reach.

(AAP Image/Joe Castro)

After the orgasmic climax of the grand final, the game experienced unprecedented media coverage. Whether articles continue to creep their way steadily towards back pages or start to slump back into the hidden depths of sporting sections in both hard and soft copy will be an excellent measuring stick.

It will be tough to gauge numerically, but seeing football represented more positively in the media would please us all. Articles appearing alongside greyhound racing content has been commonplace and, with no disrespect to the dish lickers, if that ends it would be another step forward for the game.

Another season of goal statistics of around three per game and stern officiating that punishes the cynical and rewards the expansive and skilful would be other barometers of success.

Some might feel these are conservative goals, however there is one clear objective that is far more extravagant and dreamy.

Peace on football earth! That’s right. A deal, a conclusion and a united front, brokered in good faith by all interested parties. A blueprint for the future that sees multiple tiers of football, promotion-relegation and protects all involved.

Small increases in membership attendance, watching a good standard of football and further traction in the media achieved through quality football writing and the new television deal are all realistic goals. If these are combined with football peace, the A-League will be ready to take its largest step ever in this country.

This season might be another where the A-League treads a little water, however with some luck, hard work and a little peace football might just be positioning itself very well for the future.

Stuart Thomas

Stuart Thomas is a sports writer and educator who made the jump from Roar Guru to Expert in 2017. An ex-trainee professional golfer, his sporting passions are broad with particular interests in football, AFL and rugby league. His love of sport is only matched by his passion for gardening and self-sustainability. Follow him on Twitter @stuartthomas72.

The Crowd Says (103)

I’m more excited than nemesis at an Eastern European “field hockey” final.
Off field controversies never bother me. What has me excited is the potential brilliance of the unknown recruits. For me this is where football has it over the other major codes. Yes, they may all turn out to be rubbish (early evidence suggests not), but the unknown is thrilling. YouTube highlights are suggesting some real quality. And they are good ages.

So many potential dark horses; Adelaide with a new coach and on paper some fabulous recruiting. Mariners should be better, the Jets vastly improved. Victory have again recruited well. Perth have interesting signings. Sydney may be even better, and have added real quality.

WsW? Who knows. Another big turnover. City? I think they’ll bomb. A poor coaching choice, and I think they lack pace.

Stuart, I would place Adelaide in that category too. They have made an excellent coaching appointment and have recruited exceptionally well.

I was surprised you referred to Melb City as a “powerhouse”. Can’t see what they have done to earn that descriptor. I would argue that the only thing they have done consistently is underwhelmed, and their squad this season looks very, very ordinary. They have never managed to replace Novillo adequately.

city have been consistent though, since the transformation from Heart, they have always finished in the top half of the table, no other club has achieved this during this time.
Hopefully Chelo could be the replacement from Novillo, because city don’t lack pace, they lack some creativity. the creative spark that Novillo and Mooy brought was replaced by the speed of Fitz, Bruce & Brandan

“John Aloisi was not happy with the outcome last time around and will accept nothing less than a top four spot as a pass mark”. I don’t get the point Stuart. Has your research failed you, or are you baiting us? They finished third last season, and third the season before, both under Aloisi, so why would he be happy with nothing less than top 4.
I think you mean top two, surely, for one of the A League’s most consistent sides.

I mean it just as I wrote Lionheart. I know where they finished, what I am saying is that top four is a pass, of course he would want more. Another top four finish without a Grand Final or Championship will only be a pass. Maybe a b-. I was suggesting that if they do slip from the top four, Aloisi will see it as a fail. Hence supporting your correct view that the Roar are one of the most consistent sides in the A-League.

Thanks Stuart. I’m thinking that fans will see anything but an improvement on last season as a failure. Aloisi himself, in past seasons, has said anything but a title is a failure. He shouldn’t be happy with the same result three years running.

Stuart, if we don`t have the players then there is really only 2 places to look, the owners and the coach for their off season recruitment. In saying that I can`t wait for the first round to kick off and see where everyone is up to.

Well Tezza, there’s no point looking at the owners this season – Aloisi has had the money and the resources to sign who he wants. And on time for a change. This is Aloisi’s squad win, lose or draw and it’s on him alone.

I haven’t seen them play in the pre-season Stuart, so I don’t know. But on paper they look good – Eric Bautheac (former LOSC Lille) looks a great acquisition for the A League, and Maccaroni, despite his age, brings a lot of experience to our attack and will help the new younger guys too, Gameiro and Martinez who (from reports) look good up front. Defence has been an issue pre-season going on scores/results, but several key players have been out. I’m hoping for an injury free run and expect more goals than last season.

Waz
From the few reports I’ve read, mainly from fans like you I might add, we have a fine group of forwards. When we thought we’d be relying on Daggers and Brady (who are ok) they’ll be striving to get a start. Midfield looks strong but Holman has to produce or it’s up to the youth), and then there’s our defence who you’d think look a strength but I fear how our backs are used may be an issue. Time will tell.

The A-League Championship has been won by five different clubs in the last five years. That is half the competition. Not many competitions can lay claim to that. A sixth club might be the best thing for the League? Who could it be? Is it the Wanderers time? Or perhaps Perth?

Stuart, I went out & saw SFC v Man City & though City was below their best, SFC, especially in 1st half was pretty good, Adrian, the new Polish winger looks as good as Ninkovic & Wilshire looked very solid back there. O’Neill & Brillante also looked 1 year smarter.

SFC got the boring SFC from fans & media alike, can see where they come from as Arnie’s team when on top grinds instead of grabbing by the throat & go for the kill. But the likes of Ninkovic, Bobo, Holosko, Brosque Grant, O’Neill & Brillante, played some lovely football & we won the double & lost final of FFA cup.

wasn’t the SFC – Man City game on TV? I thought SFC were terrible – an embarrassment to our league. They played well below themselves, far worse than any A League team I’ve seen play a visiting club. Or have I got the wrong game?

I think slow, trickle-feed, modest improvements, year on year, is what we need to be thinking now. Trying to take big leaps often becomes unsustainable and you have a drop back after a while. If there can be slow gains each year that can be healthy.

The comment about the salary cap and the talent pool is an interesting one. To me, the way the talent pool improves under a salary cap is in doing a better job ad developing young talent. The real quality young players need to be looking to top Euro pastures after a couple of years in the A-League. From a Socceroos perspective we really need that. But if we can see a really good pathway for developing high quality young players we can still see them coming in and improving the quality of the A-League overall before they graduate to higher leagues (hopefully bolstering the finances of the A-League club they came from in the way of transfer payments).

To me that’s still the number one thing. We need to be breeding better quality young footballers and bringing them through. That will both improve the A-League and improve the Socceroos, and that will build the popularity and money in the game and all that. Get that bit right and a lot of the rest should start to fall into place.